The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-01-13
INDUSTRIAL TOPICS.
l. consideration of a New Method
Of Removing Corn from the
Stalk and Cob.
Crops Which the Majority Of
Farmers Will Find No Profit
in Raising.
Thrashtng Cut Corn.

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in Raising.
Thrashtng Cut Corn.
Last season mention was made in
some eastern agricultural papers OF
successful experiments in thrashing
corn directly from the stalks or without
removing the husks from the ears,
This year the subject has received more
attention, A correspondent of The
Rural New Yorher, who was probably
the first to introduce this method of
preparing corn for the bin, gives these
directions:
The machine used may be any sepa-
rator- machine, such as is used for grain
thrashing, or an old dsuperannuated ma
chine will do, providing it is strong and
in good working order. To prepare it
for corn-thrashing the sections contain
ing all the teeth, except two rows,
should be removed and some hard
wood plank substituted in their place.
The sections containing the remaining
teeth should be lowered" more or less
according to the corn to be thrashed.
The corn should be well cured and the
stalks must be dry in order to keep
we'll when put into NOW OF stack. 1t is
fed to the machine butts foremost. and
as fast as the mill will properly clean the
thrashed corn or the elevator will carry
away the stalks. The better way is to
thrash as fast as it comes from the field,
although if quite dry or macine can
not be obtained at the time it may be
drawn and piled upon the NOW and
thrashed from there. In order to be easily
handled it should either have been bound
in small bundles when being cut. or
else have the ''stoots' divided into them
and be we'll bound before loaded upon
the wagon for the barn.
The trouble of husking corn is saved
by this method. The ground where the
corn grew is cleared Of stalks so that it
can be planted if the weather continues
favorable in the fall. ~fhe removal of
the corn from the stock and cob is
quickly effected. 1t is claimed that
from four to SIX hundred bushels of
corn can be thrashed in ten hours by
the use of good machine operated by
the usual number of horses and men.
1t is also claimed that the stalks of corn
are put in good condition for keeping.
The large stalks are split and broken
up and are we'll mixed with the leaves
and broken co5s so that they are not
likely to mold when placed in large
stacks. If dry straw be mixed with
them their preservation is insured even
if they were quite green when they
were run through the machine. If this
method of treating corn becomes gen.
eral it is believed that some modiiica-
ton on thrashing machines will be
made so that their owners will visit
farms for the purpose of thrashing corn
as they now do for thrashing wheat and
other small grains. If steam thrashers
are used it is thought that portion of
the stalks and leaves can be used for
fuel for generating steam.
1t is admitted that the corn removed
from the cob by thrashing machine
quite early in the fall contains much
moisture and that it cannot be put on
the market in that condition. 1t is also
admitted that it can not be kept on the
farm for feeding purposes unless it is
prepared for storage. 1t is suggested
that the shelled corn, as it comes from
the thrashing machine, be spread on
the floor of the barn or other building
and shoveled over or turned once each
day till it becomes dry enough to put it
in bin. To insure its drying rapidly
while spread on the floor it is recon-
mended that the doors and windows of
the barn be kept open so as to cause a
current of air to pass through. 1t is
also suggested that the freshly thrashed
corn be mixed with old corn and then
placed in a bin. 1t is claimed that the
old corn will absorb much of the mois-
ture from the new and will be improved
by it, if it is to be fed to hogs and
sheep. Being less hard and dry anim-
ais will masticate it better and digest
it more readily. In case there is a
house for drying hops or fruit on the
farm it could be used for drying the
moist corn as it comes from the ma
chine.
1t is not likely that this new method
of treating corn will be regarded with
favor in this part of the country. In
the west cornfelds are large and farms,
as rule. are small. Few farmers
have any suitable place for drying large
quantities of damp corn. On a large
proportion of farms all the corn Ia; sed
is fed to cattle, hogs and sheep, and
there is no occasion for selling it. Ex-
per ence and observation show that
corn dries faster and keeps better on
the ear than when it is shelled. 1t is
also more easy to handle. Most farm
ers have cribs for holding corn on the
ear, but no bins for holding large
quantities of shelled corn. If they raise
corn for the market they have it shelled
by machine on their places, or take
it on the car to the nearest shipping
point, where it is shelled by machine
belonging to the elevator. The cost of
shelling is small, and farmers get the
cobs. which in many places are of con-
siderable value as fuel. BY husking
the corn farmers have the ''shucks, !"
which have commercial value. and
! are useful for filling beds and mattress
es. Local feeders and people in villa
ges who buy corn of farmers do not
| care to have it shelled. Only millers
and shippers'prefer to have shelled cor n
Corn stalks may be kept better by
being split in a thrashing-machine and
being mixed with leaves and dry straw
before they are placed in a NOW Oh
stack. But if there is an economical
use for large and matured corn stalks,
as there may be, it has not been dis
covered. No farm animals. except
mules and goats that are on the verge
of starvation, can be induced to eat
largo corn stalks on which ears have
matured and ripened. If they should
devour them they would deserve very
little nutriment from them. They are
chiefly composed of pulp and hard,